City officials keep urging schools to ban e-cigarettes

BY AYIEN-AN JETIA PESIMO

City officials called upon educational institutions within Baguio City to enforce strict prohibitions on the entry, possession, sale, and use of e-cigarettes or vape products on school premises.

According to Donnabel Panes, a Medical Officer from the City Health Services Office (CHSO), the use of e-cigarettes or vapes has increased rapidly in the city, particularly among individuals aged 15 to 24.

“There is a vape epidemic in the city because, in 2019, we had a baseline study. The overall use of vape is 1.5% percent. Three years after, we conducted again [one] last December, bumaliktad… naging 5.1%,” Panes said.

Following this, schools were continuously encouraged to prohibit and confiscate e-cigarette devices to prevent students from using them on school grounds.

A program will also be implemented to educate parents and teachers on how to identify vape devices, which can be disguised as everyday objects such as pencils, ballpoint pens, or flash drives.

“It’s very alarming because you can hide it and very deceiving yung itsura niya,” Panes added.

Parents were advised to remain vigilant and closely monitor their children, as these devices are readily available for purchase online.

The council also said that tobacco use is a major cause of premature death in the country and is expected to result in even more deaths annually by 2030.

In 2021, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued Memorandum No. 06, which prohibits all forms of tobacco consumption, including vaping or e-cigarettes, within CHED and higher education institution premises. This ban applies to CHED officials, employees, students, visitors, and individuals inside vehicles on the premises.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has also adopted policies to ensure the enforcement of tobacco control measures in schools and offices.

Baguio remains committed to enforcing its anti-smoking and vaping regulations, to motivate individuals who smoke to stop this hazardous and addictive habit.